Bio: S.S.Segran spent a good chunk of her childhood exploring the enchanted forest of a million tales in the mystical land of books. In her early teens, she began crafting intriguing new worlds and conjuring up characters who came alive with the flick of her wand... err... pen. Charmed by the magical response to her debut novel from readers around the world, she has embarked on a quest to take her cherished fans on a thrilling journey deeper into the Aegis universe. Even as she delves into her creative endeavors, the author intends to continue her work of supporting youths in developing countries realize their potential through her non-profit organization AegisLeague.org.
When not devouring a book or writing one, S.S.Segran can be found standing behind the cauldron of life, stirring a potion made up of chores, parkour, drawing, horseback riding and--having enjoyed jumping off a perfectly fine airplane at fifteen thousand feet - perhaps skydiving.
For more information visit SSSegran.com or like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aegisnovel
BooksAndAuthor.com: Why do you write?
S.S. Segran: I enjoy writing. It is fun! It allows me to create new worlds and characters that readers will hopefully be able to relate to and care for. Writing also provides us the means to explore a plethora of human emotions and experiences, all through history to the present. It even beckons us to take a leap into the future. It is a distinct form of creative expression and a hallmark of humanity.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Who are your literary influences?
S.S. Segran: I read extensively from many sources and love the work of many wonderful authors. In my early teens I was influenced by the entertaining works of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, thanks to my dad! Lately my eclectic reading journey has led me to explore the works of authors such as Orson Scott Card, Dan Brown, A.G.Riddle, Chris Hadfield and Bill Bryson.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Tell us about AEGIS INCURSION and how it fits into your YA adventure series. Did I miss anything by not reading the first in the series AEGIS RISING?
S.S. Segran: AEGIS INCURSION was released eighteen months on the heels of AEGIS RISING and expands the arc of the apocalyptic action-adventure story while continuing to follow the journey of its five teenage heroes. Readers can read the novel as a standalone or as a sequel. In fact many readers say that they were drawn to Aegis Rising after reading Incursion. Some of those readers have also commented that Aegis Rising reads well as a prequel. So in short, readers are free to read the books in any order they choose! ☺
BooksAndAuthor.com: The AEGIS series seems to be branded as Young Adult novels, but appear to appeal to a broad age group. Why do you think this is so?
S.S. Segran: It is hard to pin this down to any one factor as I feel that the broad appeal stems from a range of possibilities including an old-fashioned, story-driven approach; five young protagonist who are decent and well-mannered, yet full of life and wit; the apocalyptic yet hopeful plot, and a setting based on present times and in a world we are familiar with.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Who are Kody and Tegan?
S.S. Segran: Kody and Tegan are a part of the five unlikely teen heroes in the series that include Jag, Mariah and Aari. The five have been lifelong friends and are like second family to one another. Their lives are changed forever after their small plane crashes the previous summer and they are drawn into an ancient prophecy of a mysterious people who live in a hidden valley in Northern Canada. After helping the teens recover from the accident, the Elders of the valley inform the five friends that they have been chose to protect humanity from a dark storm that was gathering on its horizon. The five protagonists are all distinct and each brings a unique perspective to the story.
BooksAndAuthor.com: AEGIS INCURSION is a great cover - Who designed it and what was your concept for the artwork in relation to the book?
S.S. Segran: My dad actually did the entire cover design and the illustrations inside based on my vision for the book. The cover art is designed to symbolize a key component of the story. In Aegis Rising, for instance, the fiery bird on the cover symbolizes a legendary creature foretold in the prophecy of the people who live in a hidden Valley called Dema-Ki. In Aegis Incursion, the red-glowing bird-of-prey silhouette symbolizes a destructive technology used by the antagonist to bring about widespread destruction across the globe
BooksAndAuthor.com: Hollywood calls and asks YOU to cast AEGIS INCURSION . Who do you cast and why?
S.S. Segran: This is a delightful challenge to have! I have given it some thought from time to time and have unfortunately come up wringing my hands, as far as the protagonists are concerned. I guess I would prefer new, fresh-faced actors playing these roles and bring them to life. As for the other characters I have some ideas for a few of them. For example, I wrote the character of Marshall Sawyer who plays the role of a Sentry in the story with Hugh Jackman in mind. Clint Howard would be the perfect actor to portray the ruthless character of Dr. Nate. It will be nice to see the wise and thoughtful character of Elder Nageau played by Donald Sutherland or Ian McKellen. As for rather gruff Elder Ashack, I can imagine Laurence Fishburne fitting right in.
BooksAndAuthor.com: You are the founder of Aegis League (www.aegisleague.org), a non-profit organization - Tell us more about this organization, your goals for it and how it was conceived?
S.S. Segran: Aegis League is a non-profit organization that I’ve set up as means to empower youths in developing countries. I found out, as I was researching for my novels, that it takes very little on our part to change the life of a person in another part of the world. I became very intrigued with the idea of micro-loans. These are loans so small that traditional financial institutions, like banks, don’t normally get involved in. But imagine: a 200-dollar loan to a youth in a developing country can help him/her set up a small business that can change his/her life for the better. So I figured that if there are going to be a few people who will buy my book, and if I can convince some of them to support the goal of offering interest-free micro-loans, the few of us can change a few other lives and hopefully it will snowball from there.
BooksAndAuthor.com: What do you hope to achieve with your books ?
S.S. Segran: First of all, to be able to share with my readers a sense of adventure and optimism through an entertaining storyline. As well, the importance of doing the right thing and making the right choices in life, though the right thing may not always be the easiest to do. This lifelong challenge and the rewarding lessons gained therefrom are portrayed by the five young protagonists as they face some intensely challenging scenarios in the series.
BooksAndAuthor.com: What was the last book you read?
S.S. Segran: ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ by Bill Bryson. It is an entertaining and eye-opening read!
BooksAndAuthor.com: What's next?
S.S. Segran: I have taken a year off to volunteer at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa alongside other youths from around the world. I plan to begin working on Aegis Evolution, the third instalment in the series when I return to Vancouver in December before heading out to begin my life as a student in university. I will also be more involved in the Aegis League projects in the coming months.
When not devouring a book or writing one, S.S.Segran can be found standing behind the cauldron of life, stirring a potion made up of chores, parkour, drawing, horseback riding and--having enjoyed jumping off a perfectly fine airplane at fifteen thousand feet - perhaps skydiving.
For more information visit SSSegran.com or like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aegisnovel
BooksAndAuthor.com: Why do you write?
S.S. Segran: I enjoy writing. It is fun! It allows me to create new worlds and characters that readers will hopefully be able to relate to and care for. Writing also provides us the means to explore a plethora of human emotions and experiences, all through history to the present. It even beckons us to take a leap into the future. It is a distinct form of creative expression and a hallmark of humanity.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Who are your literary influences?
S.S. Segran: I read extensively from many sources and love the work of many wonderful authors. In my early teens I was influenced by the entertaining works of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, thanks to my dad! Lately my eclectic reading journey has led me to explore the works of authors such as Orson Scott Card, Dan Brown, A.G.Riddle, Chris Hadfield and Bill Bryson.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Tell us about AEGIS INCURSION and how it fits into your YA adventure series. Did I miss anything by not reading the first in the series AEGIS RISING?
S.S. Segran: AEGIS INCURSION was released eighteen months on the heels of AEGIS RISING and expands the arc of the apocalyptic action-adventure story while continuing to follow the journey of its five teenage heroes. Readers can read the novel as a standalone or as a sequel. In fact many readers say that they were drawn to Aegis Rising after reading Incursion. Some of those readers have also commented that Aegis Rising reads well as a prequel. So in short, readers are free to read the books in any order they choose! ☺
BooksAndAuthor.com: The AEGIS series seems to be branded as Young Adult novels, but appear to appeal to a broad age group. Why do you think this is so?
S.S. Segran: It is hard to pin this down to any one factor as I feel that the broad appeal stems from a range of possibilities including an old-fashioned, story-driven approach; five young protagonist who are decent and well-mannered, yet full of life and wit; the apocalyptic yet hopeful plot, and a setting based on present times and in a world we are familiar with.
BooksAndAuthor.com: Who are Kody and Tegan?
S.S. Segran: Kody and Tegan are a part of the five unlikely teen heroes in the series that include Jag, Mariah and Aari. The five have been lifelong friends and are like second family to one another. Their lives are changed forever after their small plane crashes the previous summer and they are drawn into an ancient prophecy of a mysterious people who live in a hidden valley in Northern Canada. After helping the teens recover from the accident, the Elders of the valley inform the five friends that they have been chose to protect humanity from a dark storm that was gathering on its horizon. The five protagonists are all distinct and each brings a unique perspective to the story.
BooksAndAuthor.com: AEGIS INCURSION is a great cover - Who designed it and what was your concept for the artwork in relation to the book?
S.S. Segran: My dad actually did the entire cover design and the illustrations inside based on my vision for the book. The cover art is designed to symbolize a key component of the story. In Aegis Rising, for instance, the fiery bird on the cover symbolizes a legendary creature foretold in the prophecy of the people who live in a hidden Valley called Dema-Ki. In Aegis Incursion, the red-glowing bird-of-prey silhouette symbolizes a destructive technology used by the antagonist to bring about widespread destruction across the globe
BooksAndAuthor.com: Hollywood calls and asks YOU to cast AEGIS INCURSION . Who do you cast and why?
S.S. Segran: This is a delightful challenge to have! I have given it some thought from time to time and have unfortunately come up wringing my hands, as far as the protagonists are concerned. I guess I would prefer new, fresh-faced actors playing these roles and bring them to life. As for the other characters I have some ideas for a few of them. For example, I wrote the character of Marshall Sawyer who plays the role of a Sentry in the story with Hugh Jackman in mind. Clint Howard would be the perfect actor to portray the ruthless character of Dr. Nate. It will be nice to see the wise and thoughtful character of Elder Nageau played by Donald Sutherland or Ian McKellen. As for rather gruff Elder Ashack, I can imagine Laurence Fishburne fitting right in.
BooksAndAuthor.com: You are the founder of Aegis League (www.aegisleague.org), a non-profit organization - Tell us more about this organization, your goals for it and how it was conceived?
S.S. Segran: Aegis League is a non-profit organization that I’ve set up as means to empower youths in developing countries. I found out, as I was researching for my novels, that it takes very little on our part to change the life of a person in another part of the world. I became very intrigued with the idea of micro-loans. These are loans so small that traditional financial institutions, like banks, don’t normally get involved in. But imagine: a 200-dollar loan to a youth in a developing country can help him/her set up a small business that can change his/her life for the better. So I figured that if there are going to be a few people who will buy my book, and if I can convince some of them to support the goal of offering interest-free micro-loans, the few of us can change a few other lives and hopefully it will snowball from there.
BooksAndAuthor.com: What do you hope to achieve with your books ?
S.S. Segran: First of all, to be able to share with my readers a sense of adventure and optimism through an entertaining storyline. As well, the importance of doing the right thing and making the right choices in life, though the right thing may not always be the easiest to do. This lifelong challenge and the rewarding lessons gained therefrom are portrayed by the five young protagonists as they face some intensely challenging scenarios in the series.
BooksAndAuthor.com: What was the last book you read?
S.S. Segran: ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ by Bill Bryson. It is an entertaining and eye-opening read!
BooksAndAuthor.com: What's next?
S.S. Segran: I have taken a year off to volunteer at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa alongside other youths from around the world. I plan to begin working on Aegis Evolution, the third instalment in the series when I return to Vancouver in December before heading out to begin my life as a student in university. I will also be more involved in the Aegis League projects in the coming months.